NZQA Gives Otago Polytechnic Big Tick for Quality Assurance

NZQA Gives Otago Polytechnic Another Big Tick for Quality Assurance

The New Zealand Qualifications Authority has again given Otago Polytechnic the highest possible endorsement in its 2015 External Evaluation and Review, rating the tertiary institution as Highly Confident in educational performance and Highly Confident in capability in self-assessment.

It’s the second time Otago Polytechnic has received the highest possible endorsement from NZQA. In the previous EER review in 2011, NZQA also gave Otago Polytechnic the same double highly confident ratings.

In reporting its evaluation, the NZQA evaluation describes Otago Polytechnic having “a future-focused governance and management team … making effective evidence-based decisions towards meeting the key goal of ‘achieving educational excellence’.”

“At all levels of the organisation there is a focus on improvement and innovation ...This ongoing focus on educational excellence, informed by robust data, results in an organisation with effective teaching and learning, strong industry links, consistently strong educational performance indicators and good evidence of valued outcomes for graduates.” (NZQA Report: Summary of Results Page 7).

Chief Executive Phil Ker says the sustained recognition from NZQA is “immensely gratifying”.

“At the heart of the Polytechnic is achieving educational excellence, so it is immensely gratifying for our achievement to be backed up with strong evidence. It’s a credit to the dedicated commitment of our staff in our service areas and schools.”

“Above all, it should give our students, employers and the community confidence in the quality of education provided at Otago Polytechnic.”

The review by the NZQA was conducted across Otago Polytechnic’s Auckland International Campus and the Dunedin and Cromwell campuses and covered mandatory focus areas which included governance, management and strategy, Maori and Pasifika achievement as well as sustainability, international student support and six educational programmes.

“This result is particularly pleasing for us to receive at this time, as we celebrate our 50th anniversary this year and our longevity in the educational industry. From our humble beginnings in 1966 we have gone from strength to strength with each passing year, and this external evaluation is a validation of the success of our growth and change,” says Mr Ker.

The report highlighted Otago Polytechnic’s formal relationships with iwi, research, and community engagement and activity as well as its strong industry engagement: “Effective connections are maintained at all levels of the organization. These relationships seek to ensure that needs are matched and graduates meet industry expectations.”

The report also cited graduate surveys which found 91 per cent of graduates in the most recent survey said they would recommend their Otago Polytechnic programme to others.

ENDS

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